BBC Ape Diet Experiment shows good for Heart and Diabetes

BBC NEWS Magazine Going ape - More evidence supporting a plant based vegan diet. The BBC locked volunteers in a Zoo and fed them a raw food Ape (Gorilla) type diet.

'Nine volunteers, aged 36 to 49, took on the 12-day Evo Diet, consuming up to five kilos of raw fruit and veg a day. '

Overall, their cholesterol levels dropped 23%, an amount usually achieved only through anti-cholesterol drugs statins. (Which are recently reported to have newly discovered side effects)

The group's average blood pressure fell from a level of 140/83 - almost hypertensive - to 122/76. Though it was not intended to be a weight loss diet, they dropped 4.4kg (9.7lbs), on average.

Interestingly their insulin levels were balanced too.

In another experiment they pitted fresh fruit and vegetables against expensive probiotic yoghurts and found that supporting your gut with prebiotics (fruit and veg) was far more effective at increasing digestive system good bacteria than loading yourself up with probiotics (posh yoghurts)

I make that 3 : 0 to Fruit & Veg vs Drugs in the fight against coronary heart disease, diabetes and digestive health.

The BBC also report that consumption of Fruit and Veg in the UK is up (by nearly 13%) but London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston says that consumption needs to at least double to make a significant positive effect on health. 'Most people eat nowhere near the 5 a day goal and the optimum consumption should be more like 9-10 hand palm sized portions of fruit and veg a day'

For tests and health checks - See London Nutritionists